Andrew is a junior studying Political Science. He is also the Marketing Director for Marlin Chronicle. He spent his Study Abroad experience in Daegu, South Korea.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
I chose to Study Abroad for a few reasons. In high school, I had little opportunity to travel internationally, so the chance to spend a full semester abroad was immensely appealing. Additionally, as an international adoptee, I have always been eager to learn about the culture that I was born into but not raised. Thus, a robust Study Abroad program was a significant factor in my decision to attend both Virginia Wesleyan University and the Batten Honors College.
A year ago, I began the Study Abroad application process, first going through the Lighthouse’s Global Scholars program and then applying to International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP) for school placement. Ultimately, I spent the entirety of the Spring 2024 semester abroad in South Korea. Some of you have never heard of ISEP, and before I went abroad neither had I. ISEP is an organization that partners with hundreds of colleges and universities worldwide to create Study Abroad experiences. With minor exceptions, VWU students must go through ISEP in order to study abroad.
I feel compelled to note that ISEP is helpful in many ways, including their publication of comprehensive health and safety data. My semester at Keimyung University was perhaps the highlight of my college career thus far, and I gained knowledge and experienced character growth far beyond the classroom. Some of the relationships formed while abroad will remain with me for the rest of my life.
With that being said, ISEP does have several flaws, and I believe that VWU could both acknowledge these and minimize their impact on students.
One of the most pressing issues faced by students is college’s financial cost. Between tuition, housing and various fees foisted on students, attending VWU might cost anywhere from twenty-two to thirty thousand dollars per semester. While grants and scholarships help alleviate this burden, nearly every student must carefully budget their finances and navigate tough work schedules to afford university. When I was applying to Study Abroad, I was informed that ISEP would charge me approximately five hundred dollars solely for application and acceptance to an international university and another five hundred for ISEP’s health insurance policy, which couldn’t be waived.
My issue is not with ISEP’s fees; after all, they incur costs as well. The problem here is that these are not advertised by Virginia Wesleyan until after a student starts searching for schools through ISEP. In fact, the VWU website does not inform students of the upfront cost of any of its Study Abroad or Study Away courses, which might mislead students into believing that the university is covering them. Being upfront with this information would demonstrate honesty with students, especially for a school that advertises that 25% of its students are first generation and therefore less familiar with these programs.
On a similar note, the mandatory ISEP insurance poses problems for those studying abroad in countries that also mandate a national health insurance for foreign students. One such country is South Korea, which charges fifty to seventy dollars a month for their National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). While the NHIS can be waived with proof of adequate insurance, gaining an exemption required multiple trips to an NHIS office and numerous phone calls with often unreachable ISEP coordinators. Since NHIS coverage is retroactive, I believe it would be far fairer for ISEP to alter their insurance requirement for students traveling to countries with applicable NHIS policies. As an institutional ISEP partner, VWU could advocate for this change that would save its students time, money and anxiety.
Another problem that I faced was the clear lack of communication between ISEP and VWU personnel that translated to poor communication with students abroad. During the four months I was abroad, I received several monthly emails from my ISEP coordinator, which would be sufficient except nearly all were answers to my own inquiries or email-list invitations to events. I was never contacted by Amanda Reinig, then VWU’s Global Engagement director. Other students who went abroad have had similar experiences. This doesn’t reflect upon the current Global Engagement Director, Brooke Novkovic, who has worked to address this problem. In fact, VWU should continue building on these efforts to provide proper ground support to Marlins abroad.
None of these problems are insurmountable, and I remain optimistic that VWU and ISEP can address these flaws. By informing students of the cost of Studying Away or Abroad, Virginia Wesleyan will avoid blindsiding students with frustrating hidden fees. VWU can also demonstrate its commitment to students by advocating for changes within ISEP that will reduce confusion that interrupts otherwise life-changing experiences. Administration should also continue to support efforts to provide adequate support to currently abroad students. As VWU’s Study Abroad program expands and both sends an unprecedented number of Marlins abroad and receives numerous international and exchange students, the identification and addressal of problems that might hinder this growth should be paramount to both VWU and ISEP.
By Andrew Steiner